Sample Return Firsts

August 13, 2019

From left to right: Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin stands on the Moon; 47 pounds (21.5 kilograms) of samples were brought back to Earth from that mission; the Mars 2020 rover, seen here in an artist's concept rover, will be taking the first planetary samples at Jezero Crater, Mars (on right). Apollo 11 landed on Sea of Tranquility on July 20, 1969. Mars 2020 will land at Mars' Jezero Crater on Feb. 18, 2021.